214 



MONADELPUIA POTA^'ANDRIA. 



M7. ALTIL^.A. Maish-mallow. 



Linn. Gen. 353. Jiiss. 272. Ft. Br. 739. DeCand. Prodr.v. 1. 

 43(>. Lam. t. 581. Gcertn. t. 13<i. 



Nat. Ord. Columniferir.. Linn. 37. Malvaccce. Juss, 74. 

 Two following gener:i the same. 



Cal. double, permanent ; outer smallest, of 1 leaf, in about 

 9 narrow deep segments ; inner of 1 leaf; divided half 

 way down into .5 broader segments. Pet. 5, inversely 

 heart-sliaped, abrupt, rather oblique, flat, attached by 

 their broad claws to the bottom of the tube of the sta- 

 mens. Filam. numerous, capillary, united below into a 

 tube; separate in the upper part, both at the summit 

 and sides. Aiith. somewhat kidney-shaped. Gejin. or- 

 bicular, depressed. Style cylindrical, as long as the tube 

 of the filaments. Stigmas about 20, bristle-shaped, nearly 

 the length of the style. Capsules as many as the stigmas, 

 compressed, ranged in a circle round the columnar re- 

 ceptacle^ each of 2 valves and 1 cell, finally deciduous. 

 Seeds solitary, kidney-shaped, compressed. 



Upright herbs, either finely downy, or hairy, with lobed, 

 usually palmate, toothed, stalked, alternate leaves. Sti- 

 pulas in pairs. Fl. stalked, aggregate, axillary and ter- 

 minal, reddish. 



Alcea, the Hollyhock, is united to this genus, })erliapsjust- 

 ly, by JSchreber, Jussieu, DeCandolle and others, as dif- 

 fering chiefly in the fewer segments of its exterior calyx. 



1. A. officinaiis. Common Marsh-mallow. 

 Leaves simple, very soft and downy, slightly five-lobed. 

 A. officinalis. Lwn.Sp.PI.966. mild. v. 3.770. H. Br. 739. Engl. 



Bot. V. 3. t.\47. IVoodv. t. 53. Hook. Scot. 208. DeCand. Prodr. 



r.l.43G. Fl.Dan.t.b30. Cavan.Diss.93.t.3{).f.2. Bull. Fr.t.373. 

 A. n. 1074. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 23. 

 A. vulgaris. liaii Syn. 252. 

 A. Ibiscus. Ger. Em. 933./. 

 AlthEea. Fuchs. Hist.lo.f. Ic.l.f. Matth. Valgr.v.2.276.f. 



Corner. Epit. 667./. Dalech. Hist. 590./. 

 /3. A. vulgari similis, folio retuso brevi. Rail Syn. 252. 

 In marshes, especially towards the sea, abundantly. 

 Perennial, July — September. 

 Root tap-shaped, rather woody. Herb, of a hoary green, peculiarly 



soft and downy, with fine starry pubescence. Stems several, 



about a yard high, simple, round, leafy, tough and pliant. 



